Comments

I bought a 99 ES-V6 in Jan. of last year & have noticed the same thing w/ slight acceleration & de-acceleration, especially on the interstate. The problem seems to have ceased now that I'm past 10000 miles. I thought it was possibly a problem w/ the tranny, mines an auto. I took it to the dealership & the were supposedly unable to replicate the problem, & weren't of much help. I have noticed another problem that the dealer also cannot fix - my lights (both interior & exterior) dim slightly for a second or two when I have my exterior lights switched on. There's no rhyme or reason as to when it happens - like when it's not warmed up or certain speeds, etc. IT is VERY obvious but supposedly no mechanics at the dealer could see it. The said there were no TSB's for this problem, so they have not come up w/ any solutions. I'm worried my lights will fail completely one day. Does anyone else have this problem or have nay suggestions as to what it might be? Thanks.

I had my ES V6 5-spd in last saturday for the 7500 mile service. I told them to look into the slight hesitation problem. They said everything checked out o.k. I haven't noticed it since. I love to rev that V6! I have some good twisty open roads on my way home from work and it is a blast to tackle those roads with this car.

A new problem crept up today that has me concerned. When I got on the freeway and accelerated past 55mph, the car started vibrating terribly! We just had a major snow storm and I thought at first that it was some snow/ice build up around the wheel. I cleaned all the slush off of the wheels, but it still vibrates badly. As part of my service stop last weekend, they rotated my tires. I checked all of the lug nuts and everything seems normal. The car ran smooth up to as high as 85mph all week until today. I'm taking it back to the dealer this weekend. Any one else experience this before?

My first theory must have been correct regarding the extreme vibration past 55 mph. I gave the car a "hot bath" today and the problem stopped. There must have been some snow and ice build-up around the wheels that caused the vibration.

It is frustrating owning a new car in Minnesota during the winter. Every time we get an inch of snow or more, the MN DOT crews salt the roadways which get all over the interior and exterior of my car. Just when the roads are dry and I wash my car, we'll get another inch of snow to mess it up again! I can't wait until spring so I can open my sunroof and enjoy a clean car for more than 12 hours!

The canonical timing-belt list at Gates Rubber Company says that the F2 engine (2.2-liter inline-four) is an interference engine. Mazda recommends you change the belt every 60k miles.

Like most Mazda engines, the F2 has hydraulic lash adjusters, so in lieu of regular valve adjustments, you have to make sure the oil gets changed on a regular and timely basis. Other than that, there isn't a whole lot to go wrong with the F2 other than the usual wear issues.

If you have the automatic transmission (Mazda's G4A-EL), it's a little flaky, but a lot less so than the Ford unit that replaced it in 1994. The stick shifts are practically bulletproof, though clutches do wear out.

Scot - it's a timing belt, not chain, so you have to change it every 60k miles. It actually cost less than I thought for that service.

No problem areas after 60k miles. It's the wife's car and even when I proposed we trade it in she said "no way", she'd rather spend the money on other things (like a college fund for our 7 month old). We have a 95 ES/V6/5 speed.

I am also having the problem with the acceleration and deceleration on my 626. I have brought it in to the dealership 4 times now and they say they cant find out the problem. I asked them if they heard of the lemon law. I have a lawyer now. My car has a mere 3000 miles on it and its no good. I would not recommend this car until this problem is fixed. I hate to see what happens to my car when it gets older. Hopefully I won't have it. Any others out there with the same problem. The more that post the more info I have for my lawyer. Maybe Mazda will notice.

I just did a search on the nhtsa web page, for TSB's, etc, & under customer complaints under investigatin was the accelerate/deaccelerate thing - noted when air conditioning was on. Maybe that's why my problem has not happened anymore - it's too cold for A/C. the web address is www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/compmmy.cfm

A new problem arrived today in addition to my lights ( which I posted before)- now my damn Traction Control Off light stays on whenever I start the car & keeps flickering! Nice. I'm taking into Mazda tommorow, if they tell me one more time they "can't duplicate the problem" I'm going to tell them either start replacing parts or I'm having my atty. call Mazda North America.

Does anyone else out there notice their 626 pulls to the left at speeds abouve 60 mph? Mine is a pain to keep in my lane one the interstate, It's really awful. I didn't notice this in the test car ( & believe me I checked up to 110mph ) & my Mazda MX-6 could cruise smooth @ any speed. I thought it was the alignment, dealer said no it was tire pressure, I've had that "fixed" the last 3 oil changes b/c it's always wrong & it will still do it on the way home. What's the deal here? Is this just what I get for buying a family car or what?

When Mazda introduced the fourth-generation 626 for 1993, they brought in two new engines: the 2.0-liter four and the 2.5-liter V6. The two flavors of the 2.2 (normally-aspirated and turbocharged) were dropped with the old bodyshell.

To frog811: Whether this is a good price or not at least partially depends on the trim level. I'd say $6800 is way too much for a DX, even with mileage as low as this; it's not too unreasonable for the LX, and it might be a screaming deal for the ES, which has the V6 engine. At 60k, it's due for a timing belt change. The '93 is mostly pretty reliable. For one thing, it doesn't have the transmission issues that cropped up in '94 and thereafter. You can expect to replace an oxygen sensor around 80k, and CV boots start to show wear about then. There are a couple of potential electrical gremlins which may crop up, but they may have already befallen the previous owner, so ask if he's replaced the distributor or ignition module, or the idle air control valve. And check the air conditioning, since this is one of the last Mazdas to use the old R-12 refrigerant. Beyond that, there aren't a whole lot of wear issues with this car. The valvetrain will thank you for more frequent oil changes than the manual requires.

Hello everyone, I've been having a problem and cannot get an answer; previous posts look like youse guys (yeah, i'm from philly)may know about this. On long highway drives, my "OD OFF" light sometimes starts blinking; this doessn't seem to affect anything until I get back into city traffic, then shifting gets rough. up to now, I've been disconnecting the battery to reset the computer (the same way I fix the comp. at work!). This seems to fix the problem for a couple of trips. I took the car ('95 LX 2lt, 4 sp auto) to the dealer, but of course the codes had been erased. The dealer told me he'd be glad to replace the transmission, but, since I did'nt have a spare 2500 on me, I declined. This occurs more in hot weather, than in cold. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions? Thanks, jd.

Something is definitely wrong - either the transmission is getting bad data from somewhere and is responding in kind, or the transmission itself is about to go Tango Uniform. Next time, leave the battery cable in place long enough for the dealer to pull the codes, and make sure he knows you know that they bolted a Ford slushbox into these cars and way too many of them are failing at just about this point.

The "stalling" problem comes from a bug in the computer's programming. Under one particular set of circumstances, the fuel-air mixture goes too lean and the car conks out. The recall involves reprogramming the computer.

The one involving the stereo is a little weirder. In general, if the humidity is high, the A/C is on and the window is down (huh?), condensation can enter the head unit, which could theoretically cause a short - and if it's at the speaker terminals, it could cause overheating, and a fire could break out. (I once had a VCR shoot out flames from its heat sink, so I take this more seriously than it sounds.)

Mazda North American Operations can presumably tell you if any particular car has received the fix, since they have to reimburse the dealer for doing the work. And as new incidents occur, there's always the possibility of new recalls.

My sister is interested in a 2000 ES V6 demo with 1,700 miles. It has just about everything but ABS. The dealership is asking $18,900. Is this a good deal? What are some things to be on the look out for when buying a demo. How much is taken off for the mileage? She isn't too familiar with Mazda. How are they for reliability?

Well, that's good to know about the incentives. I'm still wary of waiting though. When does the next issue of Automotive News come out? Oh, and the current incentive is $1500 cash back or $500 cash with 0% for 36 mos., 3.9% for 48 mos., and 5.9% for 60 mos. And it is all scheduled to end 2/29.

Oh, and has anyone had a positive experience with the 2000 ES V6 with AT? I really like the car, and want to avoid getting the same car as everyone else (i.e. Camry and Accord). Any positive reinforcement would be nice, esp. before I buy!!

My 1996 has had several problems over the years. First was warped rotors (vibration when braking)which were corrected under warranty. Second prblem was with the blinking overdrive light that would come on after a long drive, then stay on for several days. It usually went away before I got to the dealer. Eventually concluded with loss of all forward gears and replacement of the trans (covered under warranty at 41000). Luckilly I was close to my destination and could back up into my parking space. I suggest if you have this blinking light condition, see your dealer or maybe just need routine trans service (fluid and filter change). Next came the hesitation, especially at uphills. Conclusion was damaged mass air flow sensor ($467 of my money). Per the dealer, could have been caused by "aftermarket" air filter from Jiffy Lube. Jiffy Lube gets filters from Fram and are per factory specs. No relief from Mazda after complaint letter to them. The most annoying problem, which the dealer has been unable to fix, is that the front door does not stay open when getting in or out parked on my inclined street or driveway. The incline is not all that great and every other car has no problem. It sure is a pain when you have an arm-full of stuff. Probably won't be looking for future Mazdas. Good luck.

I am looking at a 626ES to purchase. It has theautomatic. I have heard that some autos producedby Mazda are unreliable and go out early. Is this the case with this particular model? 1995 with75000 miles, very good condition it seems, anddrives fine. What can anyone tell me about the reliability of these cars and what kind of gasmileage can one expect? Thanks

The 95 came standard with the V6, and that tranny is a Mazda unit, which is reliable.

We have a 95, but it's a stick, though it's been great. In 5 years we've spent only a coupe of hundred on a fuel system service, everything else was regular scheduled maintenance. It's never stranded us, and my wife isn't even interested in trading it in yet.

In hind sight, we would have purchased the same exact car, no regrets. The Honda and Toyota would have cost several thousand more with the same stuff (leather, moonroof, ABS, alloys, etc).

Hey, I have the answer to this. Your torque converter is about to die. I have a 95 Mazda 626 that I bought as a program car with 8500 miles on it four years ago. At 50,000 miles, I had the OD off light problem. It was under extended warranty. It took about a month to run all the tests they wanted to do (I had a loaner car for that period), then Mazda replaced the entire tranny.

If you take overdrive off any time your speed drops below 45 mph, the torque converter will last longer. I know they tell you that you don't have to do it, but I currently have 130,000+ on the car and it's just now beginning to make noise again. Obviously Mazda knows about this, because they really didn't put up a lot of fight about the replacement.

I put 90 miles a day on my car, mostly state highway driving. It still has plenty of get up and go and the body and interior are holding up well. But it does seem to me to be a bit spendy to maintain. I've replaced the timing belt twice (at 60,000 and 120,000) at a cost of $700 each time. I just had the wiper arm assembly go out, which was another $150. It started out being about $200 every time I took the car in. Now it's up to about $700. I put a lot of miles on it and I do expect it to get more expensive to keep it going. I did not expect to spend so much with a fairly new car.

I will finally have this paid off in January and will be looking for another car and probably not a Mazda. I'm keeping the car for my husband, who won't put many miles on it. It could last another 10 years with that kind of driving. I wouldn't recommend it, if you have any kind of commute.

Sorry to write so many posts in one day, but I'm working my way back through the archives. I had the air sensor go out this year too. (Actually there were two sensors that went out--$300 just for the replacement sensors).

The sign that you have this problem is poor acceleration going uphill, that is worse on hot days. The car will sound like it's going to die. I was told that the problem being worse in hot weather is a dead giveaway for this problem.

There is also a lifter noise that I'm told is common in Mazdas. It's a standard lifter ticking noise. It doesn't seem to get any worse and is caused by weak lifters. I'm also due to have the brakes done again. This time I'll need new rotors. And geez, don't deal with those sharks at Sears! I had them tell me, when I took the car in for the first brake work, that I needed the master cylinder changed. They tried to tell me that it was leaking fluid. I had them put everything back together and got out of there as quickly as I could. It just needed new pads.

I am in the market for a new car - I have only a few ideas on what I want. #1 - I want to stay under 20k, #2 - I want as many "extras" as I can get, and #3 - I need something in which my 2 sons (both 6' tall) can ride in. I just got back from a Mazda dealer and was very impressed with the Protege and 626. If I don't want to upgrade the 626 to a V6, should I not even consider it and just take the Protege?

The wife and I just picked out our FIRST new car.I'm a 6' 200lbs guy and I fit nicely in this craft.The 2.0 with the 5-spd moves out quite nicely,but this test was a short run. All thoseproblems I read about the tranny I hope won'taffect our left-leg flexor. We pick up the Free-port Green Metallic(who thinksup these colors?)baby wednesday. Will let ya know about firstroad trip. Thumbs Up!

lady: avoid the moonroof, which eats up headroom for those 6 footers. Also, people here say the 4 cylinder's auto tranny is not reliable.

That makes the choice easy: 626 LX V6. With a rebate you can easily get one for under $20k, I think it's just $19.5k or so at full retail. Paying near invoice will keep you well below your price limit.

If you've got the automatic, you probably should treat it to a fresh fill of Dexron. Also, this is about the time CV boots start to deteriorate. Other than that, there's really nothing major that always seems to need attention around this time, besides the usual things you have to check all the time anyway.

My son just picked up one yesterday. List Price was $20,895. Deal came through at $18,500. According to my son, he did not have to haggle to get it. Nice car for the money, lots of extras on the ES come standard. However, ABS and side airbags are optional on all 626s.

There are two 626 ES models, a 626 ES (with a 130HP 16 valve 4 cylinder) and a separate 626 ES V-6 with more toys and a higher price tag. The 626 ES idles without nary a whimper, your buzzy 4-cylinder must be an older model.

There was only one 626 ES model, until 1999 when Mazda started offering the ES trim on the 4 cylinder model. 1998 and before ESs were all V6 models. Mazda also dropped the DX models after the 1998 model year.

Agreed. I have a '97 ES 5 spd and there are not enough o's in smooth to describe it. Lots of power, not right off the line, but get it wound up and the car just flies. It is pretty good on gas too, (providing your not hot rodding it around). I get around 23 to 24 mpg city which is about what I got with my previous 2.5L Chrysler 4 banger! I also like the gearing in the 5 speed, it's well matched to the V6. Can easily cruise around town in 5th, (gas saver) and yet also have it revving at the lower end of the power band for effortless highway passing.